Dianne constantly complains about my loud snoring. While I'm about to doze off, she shakes me to get me to stop the snoring. For some reason, I never hear myself snoring, even while I'm still awake and semi dozing off. I think I'm still awake and conscious, yet I am unable to hear myself snore. It's weird. Dianne recorded my snoring on her cell phone, and man it was very damn loud, almost like a monster growling. Dang.

What can I do about this snoring problem? How do you cure or prevent it?

It says that the way to tell if you have sleep apnea, is to see whether you are drowsy and sleepy during the day. However, there are a legion of reasons why someone could be sleepy during the day. So that doesn't tell you much does it?

Last edited by Winston on September 20th, 2011, 5:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Rarely is snoring a medical condition beyond losing weight, laying off the alcohol, and sleeping in the right position. Try not to sleep on your back. If you do sleep on your back, put a rolled towel under the back of your neck to elevate your cervical collar bones, which will open up your airways. Or, sleep on your sides, which will also help.

It says that the way to tell if you have sleep apnea, is to see whether you are very fatigued and sleepy during the day. However, there are a legion of reasons why someone could be sleepy during the day. So that doesn't tell you much does it?

Being overweight may worsen sleep apnea but I don't think it causes it. It is not an easy diagnosis to make. My friend and co-worker had a series of sleep studies to address his problems, and now sleeps with a device to enhance oxygen flow.

OTOH, some people just snore and there are those nose things that keep the nostrils open during sleep. This all requires medical tests not just online diagnosis IMO.

It says that the way to tell if you have sleep apnea, is to see whether you are very fatigued and sleepy during the day. However, there are a legion of reasons why someone could be sleepy during the day. So that doesn't tell you much does it?

Being overweight may worsen sleep apnea but I don't think it causes it. It is not an easy diagnosis to make. My friend and co-worker had a series of sleep studies to address his problems, and now sleeps with a device to enhance oxygen flow.

OTOH, some people just snore and there are those nose things that keep the nostrils open during sleep. This all requires medical tests not just online diagnosis IMO.

I never had sleep apnea or even snored when I was skinny. As soon as I gained a bunch of weight, I got both. I then lost weight and the problem went away.

The interesting thing is that it isn't just fat. Football players will get sleep apnea a lot of times from bulking up to quickly with muscle.

Snoring by itself is not a serious medical problem condition unless it results in a decrease in oxygen getting to your brain during sleep then it becomes sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause a ton of serious health problems and is the most common medical condition that causes divorce, most people don't even know they have it. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea include.

If you have some of these symptoms then you can request a sleep study from your doctor. A sleep study consists of sleeping at sleep clinic with about 25 sensors attached to your head, chest and legs. All your vital signs are monitored as you sleep to determine if you have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. Incidently, I had a sleep study done last year and I tested positive for sleep apnea.

Think Different wrote:Rarely is snoring a medical condition beyond losing weight, laying off the alcohol, and sleeping in the right position. Try not to sleep on your back. If you do sleep on your back, put a rolled towel under the back of your neck to elevate your cervical collar bones, which will open up your airways. Or, sleep on your sides, which will also help.

But Dianne says I snore loudly even when I am sitting in a chair or bus seat and fall asleep (which I don't notice because I'm still conscious even when she says I fell asleep, oddly enough, so it's like I'm conscious still but don't hear myself snore).

So I might have a bigger problem, perhaps sleep apnea.

Like the list above said, I do have some of those symptoms, mostly 1 and 2, but not the rest. I do get morning headaches often, and I do get drowsy throughout the day sometimes. But it's on and off, and there are many reasons why someone could get drowsy during the day, right? People with chronic fatigue syndrome get drowsy a lot too.

Please be careful. A family member had a problem with loud snoring! It looks like while he snored, his heart stopped beating. He visited a doctor because of this and got now a machine, who helps him with breathing in the night. He doesn't snore anymore, but the machine makes a noise, but it's not that loud than the snoring was. Maybe you should call a doctor, just in case it could become a heart problem!

My problem is worse now. Rock says when i sleep at night at his place, i make a terrible sound like im choking or gasping for air. Its definitely obstructive sleep apnea. What causes it though?

One doctor told me that my tonsils were enlarged. Could that be the cause? If so, is there a way to shrink tonsils?

I also read online through google searches that during sleep your tongue coils back into your throat, making less room to breathe through your throat. Some applications may help such as a lower jaw retainer that pushes your jaw and tongue forward at night. Would those help?

Whats this oxygen mask someone mentioned above? How does it work?

Today we went to a hospital in Taipei. The doctor said i have obstructive sleep apnea. It may be the cause of my high blood pressure, constant fatigue, low energy and morning headaches.

The doctor wants me to go to a sleep lab and spend the night for testing. He may give me an oxygen mask to help me breathe while i sleep if the tests warrant it. It costs 50,000 NT but the insurance will cover it.

Any recommendations? Whats the cause of this? Why did mother nature allow this big defect in sleep? Rock thinks that when you get fat, your cells become fat too, such as the cells in your throat, which narrows the passageway. Is that the primary cause?

My problem is worse now. Rock says when i sleep at night at his place, i make a terrible sound like im choking or gasping for air. Its definitely obstructive sleep apnea. What causes it though?

One doctor told me that my tonsils were enlarged. Could that be the cause? If so, is there a way to shrink tonsils?

I also read online through google searches that during sleep your tongue coils back into your throat, making less room to breathe through your throat. Some applications may help such as a lower jaw retainer that pushes your jaw and tongue forward at night. Would those help?

Whats this oxygen mask someone mentioned above? How does it work?

Today we went to a hospital in Taipei. The doctor said i have obstructive sleep apnea. It may be the cause of my high blood pressure, constant fatigue, low energy and morning headaches.

The doctor wants me to go to a sleep lab and spend the night for testing. He may give me an oxygen mask to help me breathe while i sleep if the tests warrant it. It costs 50,000 NT but the insurance will cover it.

Any recommendations? Whats the cause of this? Why did mother nature allow this big defect in sleep? Rock thinks that when you get fat, your cells become fat too, such as the cells in your throat, which narrows the passageway. Is that the primary cause?

HouseMD, whats your take on this?

OSA is, in most cases, caused by obesity. The supportive structures within your neck can only hold up a small amount of tissue, so when you put on extra weight beyond what the human body is designed to handle, it has a dual effect of stretching some tissues and compressing others. The chin straps and jaw retainers often just mask the symptom by forcing your mouth closed, which both keeps you from scoring and limits your oxygen intake even further. CPAP machines provide pressure that holds your airway open, similar to how air pressure holds open a balloon. We call this airway stenting, and basically it means you won't be dropping to 80% oxygen hundreds of times each night, which over time causes permanent damage to your heart and circulatory system.

Patients who lose a substantial amount of weight can sometimes come off of the CPAP, but it is strongly dependent upon their airway characteristics and how they carry their weight. This is general information and not medical advice.